Elastic-fluid turbine



C. S. RICE.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1919.

1,337,096. Patented Apr. 13, '1920.

9 His Attorney.

'entran stra'rns ernten.

CHESTER S. RICE, OF

SCI-IENECTADY, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR TC GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, ACQRPCRATION OF NEW' YORK.

ELAsrIcrLUIn runsrnn.

Application liled September 8, 1919.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CI-rns'rnn S. Rien, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic- Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

rIhe present invention relates to elastic fluid turbines andspecifically to that type having a radial flow high pressure bladesystem, the parts of which revolve in oppo-v site direction and also anaxial flow low pressure blade system, the latter receiving steam from.the former. In such a turbine the blades of the radial flow system aremounted on rotor elements and extend axially. The blades of the axialflow system are mounted on separate rotor elements, hereinafter1referred to as wheels, which are attached to the inner elements andextend radially.

The wheels are heat-treated to render them very strong and tough and if,in operation, they are subjected to the action of high temperaturesteam, in such manner that'a substantial ii f .se in temperatureresults, their strI th will be materially decreased. It is alsoaporta-nt that the ei'itire wheels be maintained at substantially thesame temperature to prevent stresses being set up due to undue heating.The object of the present invention is to provide an improved structureand arrangement in a turbine of the character referred to whereinprovision is made for effecting llow of comparatively cool steam overthe wheels so as to prevent undue heating of the same and maintain theentire wheels at a sub` stantially constant temperature.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention,attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claimsappended thereto.

In the drawing the ligure is a radial sectional view of a portion of anelastic fluid turbine embodying my invention. The drawing shows the lefthand side of a turbine and a part of the right hand sideand it will beunderstood that the two sides are alike, the right hand side vbeing aduplicate of the left hand side.

Referring to the drawing, 5 and 5a indicate inner rotating elementscarrying rings of interleaving blades 6 and 6 respectively,

` Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial 11o. 322,424.

through which elastic iluid flows radially outward thereby causingelements 5 and to rotate in opposite directions. Blades G and 6a areconnected to elements 5 and 5d by suitable expansion rings 8 and 8a,this being now a known form of connection in this type of turbine. Innerrotating element 5 is carried by a stub shaft 9 which in turn is carriedby a main shaft (not shown). Inner rotating element 5 is carried by asimilar stub shaft (not shown). In the description following I willdescribe the left hand side-of the turbine only it being` understood, asstated above, that the right hand side is a duplicate thereof.Surrounding inner rotating element 5 is an intermediate rotatinc element10 fastened to element 5 by an expansion ringll, and fastened to element10 by an expansion ring 12 is an outer rotating element 13. LElements 10and 13 carry axially extending blade rings 1+i and 15 with whichinterleave blade rings 14 and 151 of the right hand side of the machine.Connected to intermediate element 10 by an expansion rino' 16 is a wheel17 which carries a ring of radially extending blades 18. Elements 5, 10and 18 and wheel 17 with their attached rings of buckets form as a wholeone rotor of the turbine. Fastened to the surrounding casing wall 19 isa holder 20 which carries a. ring of nozzles 21 for direct-ing elasticfluid to blade ring 18 and depending from nozzle ring 21 is an annularwall 22 which defines a passage for directing elastic fluid exhaustingfrom the adial flow blade system to nozzles 9.1.

The adjacent stationary side wall of the turbine casing is indicated atQlyand between it and stub shaft 9 is a suitable shaft lacking 25 toprevent leakage between the shaft and the casing. Projecting from sidewallrd are two concentric annular walls 2G and 27 which definesteam'chambers 28 and 29. Elastic fluid is admitted to chamber 2Sthrough a supply conduit 30 'and from chamber 28 it passes throughopenings 31 to the radial llow blade system. Chamber 29 may be suppliedwith elastic fluid from chamber 28 through 'suitable valves (not shown)and from chamber 29 elastic `fluid is supplied through passages 32 and33 to an intermediate point in the radial flow blade system. Theadmission of elastic fluid to an intermediate point in the turbine isfor the purpose of getting increased power from edge or 1mg 4G.

the rotor and the adjacent casingrwall is arf ranged a packing and axialbalancing means comprising an inner portion which is located in the boreof wheel 17 and an outer por-l tion which is located alongside Wheel 17.The inner portion comprises disks rand 36 connected to inner rotatingelement 5 and walls 2G and Q7 respectively by suitable 'expansion rings37 and 38. Between disks 35 and 3G are interleaving vpacking rings 39which are carried by such dis rIlle outer portion comprises disks d0 and41 between which are interleaving packing rings 12. Disk d10 is carriedfrom disk 35 by a long expansion ring 43, which also 'forms a guard ringto prevent elastic fluid which leaks through packing 39 from coming intodirect contact with wheel 17. Disk 41 is carried by an expansion ring alconnected to an annular projection 45 on wall 27. Carried by wheel 17 isa ring 4G which closely surrounds the periphery of disks all) and Ll1there being an annular space 17 between them. The elastic lluid leakingthrough between disks 35 and '3G and disks l0 and al will have acomparatively high temperature and to better protect wheel 17 therefromdisk l0 and 'expansion ring 48 on their sides neXt wheel 17 are providedwith shields 4S and 19. In expansion ring 16 which connects wheel 17 torotating member 10 are 'a suitable number ot spaced openings 50, and aswill be clear, these openings 'connect the space adjacent the inner sideot wheel17 to the exhaust portion of the turbine casing by *ay ot theannular space between the bore or wheel 17 and expansion ringL'13.the'sgacc between the outer side et wheel 17 and disk d'0 and thespace Li7 between ring i6 and the periphcries of disks el() and Ll1.

The operation ola turbine as shown is well understood, elastic fluidvllowing irst through the radial flow portion of the machine and thendividing and liowing through the two axial liow portions each of whichcomprises a ring of 'nozzles 21 and a wheel 17.

When the turbine Vis operating elastic fluid leaks through the packingmeans be-l tween disks 35 and 86 and disks 4l() and 4:1

[and issues in an annular stream at the peripheryi'oi1 the disks throughthcspace between the periphery of vdisk `1-1 and the outer The spaceissuitably shaped so as to create a suction on annular s )ace 47 theaction bein' similar to that oi' an ejector. As a result, the issuing ofelastic ljluid from the space bet veen the periphery of disk Z.l1 andthe outer edge o't' ring 4G creates a suction which draws elastic ll'uidthencethrough the space between the bore or wheel 17 and expansion ringa3, thence up along the outer surface oi wheel-17 as Yrar as ring 6 andout through 'space -flfi' te fluid, the motive fluid after it has passedthrough nozzles 21 and has, therefore, Vbeen expanded down to the lowestpressure and temperature which it reaches before passing to theexl'i'au'st shell et the turbine. I thus provide amos't ellicient andeconomical cool? ing means for the impulse ivhe'cl, and one whichmaintains the 'entire wheel at substantially the saine temperature sincethe cooling -li'uid is el." the 'same temperature as that 'passingVthi'ougdi the buckets ot the wheel. In other words, the bore of thewheel is subjected to fluid of substantially the same temperature asthat to which the rim of the wheel is subjected.

In accordance with the provisions oi the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operationl of my invention7 together with theapparatus which I now consider to rep-'resent the best embodimentthereof, but I desire t'o have it understood that the app'z'ira't'usshown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out byother means.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi theUnited States, is

1. In an elastic fluid turbine having a rotor comprising a member havingaxially extending bucket rings thereon and wheel carried by said memberand having' radially etending buckets thereon, means defining ap-a'tli'f'or conducting'elastic tluid from adjacent the ont ance side ot.'aid radially effe tending buckets inwardly aleng the inner surface 'ofthe wheel and thence througn the bore thereof. v

2. In an elastic fluid turbine having a r'ot'o'r comprising two members'connected to eachother and carrying bucket elements, one of saidmembers being located to 'one side oi the other and having an enlargedbore, means Idelining a path iior conducting elastic iluidior coolinginwardly 'along the inner sur'i'a'ce c1" said one member and thencethrough the bore thereof. Y Y

B. In an elastic iiuid turbine having a roter comprising two membersconnected to ea'ch other 'and carrying bucket elements, one o1' sai-d'members being located vto one 'side Ol the other and having an enlargedbore, and balancing disk means located in said boe,ineans defining 'apath ii'or conducting elastic fluid inwardly aloi'ig the inner surtaceVot 'said `one member and thence through the bore thereof, the elasticyfluid being drawn along such path by the ejector action ico IOS

of elastic fluid leaking from said balancing disk means.

4. In an elastic fluid turbine having a rotor comprising an inner radialflow portion and an outer axial flow portion, and balancing disks, meansactuated by the issuing of elastic fluid from said balancing disks forcausing cooling medium to flew over the inner surface of' the outeraxial Alioiv portion of the rotor.

5. In an elastic fluid turbine, the coinbination of oppositely rotatingelements having interleaving blades, a bladed Wheel having an enlargedbore connected to each element, a pair of balancing` disks for eachelement, and means defining a passage along a surface of' each Wheel andthence through its bore, through which passage fluid for cooling thewheel is drawn by the elastic fluid leaking from said balancing disks.

6. In an elastic iuid turbine, the combination of' oppositely rotatingelements having interleaving blades, a bladed Wheel having an enlargedbore connected to each element, a pair of balancing disks for eachelement located in the bore of its Wheel, and means defining a passagealong the inner surface of each Wheel and thence through its bore,through which passage fluid for cooling the Wheel is drawn by theelastic fluid leaking from said balancing disks.

7. In an elastic fluid turbine, the coinbination of' oppositely rotatingelements having interleaving blades, a bladed Wheel iaving an enlargedbore connected to each element, balancing disk means each comprising aninner portion located in said bore and an outer portion located at aside of said Wheel, and means defining a passage along the inner surfaceof' the Wheel, thence through its bore and thence along the outersurface of the Wheel between it and the outer portion of said balancingdisk means through which elastic fluid flows to cool the Wheel.

8. In an elastic fiuid turbine, the combination of oppositely rotatingelements having interleaving blades, a bladed wheel having an enlargedbore connected to each element, balancing disk means each comprising aninner portion located in said bore and an outer portion located at aside of said Wheel, means defining a passage along the inner surface ofthe wheel, thence through its bore and thence along the outer surface ofthe wheel between it and the outer portion of said balancing disk meansthrough which elastic fiuid flows to cool the Wheel, the elastic fiuidbeing propelled through said passage by the action of elastic fluidleaking from said balancing disk means.

9. In an elastic iiuid turbine having a rotor element and a packingmeans, the combination of means defining a passage along a side Wall ofsaid rotor element, and means actuated by elastic fluid issuing fromsaid packing means for causing cooling mediuin to circulate through saidpassage to cool the rotor.

l0. In an elastic fluid turbine comprising a rotor element having a boreand a packing means, the combination of means defining a passage along aside Wall of said rotor element, and means actuated by elastic fiuidissuing from said packing means for causing cooling medium to circulatethrough said passage and the bore of the rotor element.

1l. The combination with an elastic fiuid turbine having a rotorprovided with a ring of blades, of means forming an ejector for causingelastic fluid to flow from adjacent the admission side of said bladesover the rotor to cool it.

l2. The combination With an elastic fluid turbine having a rotorprovided with a ring of blades, said rotor having a bore, of means forcausing elastic fluid to flow from adjacent the admission side of saidblades over the surface of said roter and thence through said bore tocool the rotor.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day ofSeptember, 1919.

CHESTER S. RICE.

